DETAILS of a Surrey Heath Council takeover of the Windle Valley Day Centre in Bagshot have been met with dismay by the charity which used to help run it.

The centre has been run in partnership between the council and the Bagshot & District Old People’s Welfare Committee, but the charity has pulled out following a bust-up.

The OPWC handed in its notice, saying it could no longer work with the council.

It blamed a lack of communication from the council and said that for months the two sides have barely spoken.

Now there are fears that the elderly and disabled people who use the centre could lose out.

Barry Catchpole, chief executive of Surrey Heath Council, accepted the resignation and the charity has given notice that on September 30, its two minibuses which transport people to and from the centre, will cease to run.

It has also terminated the contracts of its two staff members at the centre.

The council is now left to take over the running of the centre, but there are major concerns that transport charges could rocket without help from the charity’s volunteers, making the journey too expensive for the elderly users.

These fears seemed to be confirmed at the meeting as the decision was made to keep the existing charges for transport up until April next year when the council’s charges would then be implemented.

Charges for refreshments will also go up in October, to put them in line with those at the Ian Goodchild Centre in Camberley.

The hiring of two new care workers and new minibuses was also agreed at the meeting.